Proxy based backup and restore of Hyper-V cluster shared volumes (CSV)

Abstract

In one example, a method includes obtaining cluster and machine configuration information, sending a restore request for one or more machines, and loading a backup of a virtual machine, the backup having been created by a federated backup process involving the physical proxy node, and the virtual machine includes data that resides on a virtual federated database that is an element of a cluster environment and to which respective databases of each of a plurality of nodes of the cluster environment are mapped. Next, the virtual machine is taken offline after the backup of the virtual machine has been loaded, and after the virtual machine has been taken offline, the virtual machine is removed from the node where it resides. The backup of the virtual machine is then restored, and the restored virtual machine brought online, after which the restored virtual machine is enabled as a cluster-wide virtual machine.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 obtaining cluster and virtual machine configuration information; 
 sending a restore request for a virtual machine; 
 loading a backup of a virtual machine, the backup of the virtual machine having been created by a federated backup process involving a physical proxy node, and the virtual machine comprises data that resides on a virtual federated database that is an element of a cluster environment and to which respective databases of each of a plurality of nodes of the cluster environment are mapped; 
 taking the virtual machine offline after the backup of the virtual machine has been loaded; 
 after the virtual machine has been taken offline, removing the virtual machine from a cluster node of the cluster environment where the virtual machines resides; 
 restoring the virtual machine by restoring the backup of the virtual machine to the cluster node of the cluster environment; 
 bringing the restored virtual machine online after the backup of the virtual machine has been restored; 
 after the restored virtual machine has been brought online, enabling the restored virtual machine as a cluster-wide virtual machine; and 
 sending confirmation that restoration of the virtual machine has been completed. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein obtaining cluster and virtual machine configuration information comprises selecting a proxy node of the cluster environment on which restoration of the virtual machine will be performed. 
     
     
       3. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the cluster and virtual machine configuration information are obtained from an agent that resides on a cluster aliasing node. 
     
     
       4. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the restore request is sent from a remote client outside the cluster environment to a backup and restore server outside the cluster environment. 
     
     
       5. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein part of the method is performed by a recover program spawned, and residing, on an aliasing node. 
     
     
       6. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising identifying a file to be restored. 
     
     
       7. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising bringing virtual machine configuration resources online along with the restored virtual machine. 
     
     
       8. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising migrating the restored virtual machine to another node. 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein instructions which are executable by one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining cluster and virtual machine configuration information; 
 sending a restore request for a virtual machine; 
 loading a backup of a virtual machine, the backup of the virtual machine having been created by a federated backup process involving a physical proxy node, and the virtual machine comprises data that resides on a virtual federated database that is an element of a cluster environment and to which respective databases of each of a plurality of nodes of the cluster environment are mapped; 
 taking the virtual machine offline after the backup of the virtual machine has been loaded; 
 after the virtual machine has been taken offline, removing the virtual machine from a cluster node of the cluster environment where the virtual machines resides; 
 restoring the virtual machine by restoring the backup of the virtual machine to the cluster node of the cluster environment; 
 bringing the restored virtual machine online after the backup of the virtual machine has been restored; 
 after the restored virtual machine has been brought online, enabling the restored virtual machine as a cluster-wide virtual machine; and 
 sending confirmation that restoration of the virtual machine has been completed. 
 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein obtaining cluster and virtual machine configuration information comprises selecting a proxy node of the cluster environment on which restoration of the virtual machine will be performed. 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the cluster and virtual machine configuration information are obtained from an agent that resides on a cluster aliasing node. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the restore request is sent from a remote client outside the cluster environment to a backup and restore server outside the cluster environment. 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein one or more of the operations are performed by a recover program spawned, and residing, on an aliasing node. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise identifying a file to be restored. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise bringing virtual machine configuration resources online along with the restored virtual machine. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise migrating the restored virtual machine to another node.